Got a passion for writing that you’d like to turn into a source of income? There are lots of ways to turn writing into cash. Below are 7 popular ways to make money as a writer.
Publish a book
One way to make money could be to write a book and get published. Even if you’re unable to create the next hit novel, you could still find an audience for your book - thanks to the internet, there are now many easy ways to connect with readers around the world including promoting your book on social media and reaching out to blogs that review books. Writing a book takes a lot of time and dedication, although it’s now much easier to sell shorter books such as e-books if you haven’t got the patience to write a long book. Be prepared to invest some money into publishing your book. Self-publishing is more of a hassle, but could save you money if you’re on a tight budget.
Start a blog
You can also make money by starting a blog. This blog could be themed around any topic you want from dogs to music to cooking. You can start a blog for free using a platform such as WordPress, Blogger or Medium. Your posts can then be promoted through social media to help you attract readers. The key to a successful blog is to post regular engaging content - you want to attract readers that follow you for new content. Amass enough readers and you can start monetizing your blog. Displaying ads is one way of doing this, although you’ll need to be getting a lot of page views to make a serious amount of money. It’s also possible to make money from a blog by accepting sponsored content such as paid reviews or affiliate content (you can read about affiliate marketing here).
Become a copywriter
Copywriters take on commercial writing jobs which could include writing blog posts, web content, press releases, reviews or articles. You could become an in-house copywriter for a company, writing content exclusively for that company. Alternatively, you could become a freelance copywriter, writing content for all kinds of clients. There are many ways to find freelance writing work including signing up to agencies or using sites like Fiverr and Upwork. Freelance work tends to be more flexible in terms of when you work it, plus you can write much more diverse content appealing to a range of clients.
Get a gig at a publication
You may be able to pick up steady paid writing jobs working for a magazine, newspaper or online publication. Finding this work usually involves writing some voluntary articles first so that you can build up a portfolio. You can then start pitching to publications that offer paid articles. Having qualifications in journalism could help when applying for a job at a newspaper. Some newspapers offer their own internship and training systems for taking on new writers.
Enter writing competitions
There are many writing competitions out there with cash prizes. Enter one of these competitions and win and you could make a lot of money. You can find writing competitions advertised online through social media. Even if you don’t win, writing competitions can be great for the experience and could give you something to add to your portfolio or resume.
Transcribe text from other languages
If you’re fluent in another language, you could get a job transcribing text. There are sites where you can pick up freelance transcription jobs, which could include anything from transcribing a legal contract to transcribing a press release. You may even find international companies looking for full-time transcription employees. Having qualifications in another language could help you to get such work. Some jobs may require you to not just translate but rewrite the content in another language with a different angle.
Teach others to write
You can also get paid to teach others to write. This could involve teaching kids of adults the basics of how to read and write either as a teacher or a private tutor. Alternatively, you may be able to teach more advanced writing skills. This could include teaching niche writing skills such as how to write a novel, how to be a journalist or how to write marketing copy. This could be via workshops or even via written online courses (there’s a lot of money to be made from online courses). Teaching involves having the right expertise and experience - consider whether you need to take a course first.
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